With You
by rocket killer
Summary: As Wander lays his head down to go sleep, important, and uncharacteristically serious thoughts keep him awake.
1. Chapter 1

Wander wasn't in a good situation. There were no physical threats, though. There were no armies, bounty hunters, ravenous aliens, laser guns, dangerous chemical hazards, or seemingly magical phenomenon within miles of him or Sylvia. No, nothing but peaceful fields of silvery blue grass rolling and glittering in the brilliant moonlight as far as the eye could see. Yet, Wander was still scared… well, no, not scared, anxious would probably be the right word. That was part of, or perhaps the complete reason that Wander was in the insomniac state that he was. Oh, he had tried his usual methods of inducing sleep, most of them involving Sylvia. These methods had always helped calm the giddy butterflies in his tummy when they had just gone through, or were about to go on, another exciting adventure. He was currently resting his head on Sylvia's tummy, using it as a pillow as he often had on countless past nights. He would listen to her breath and feel the soft rise and fall on his head as he rest it on her, or listen to her heartbeat, just knowing that she was still there and wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon made him feel a lot better. Sometimes, these small assurances would help lull him into a peaceful sleep. If he was lucky, he would sometimes be able to hear Sylvia say something funny in her sleep, whether it was about jellyfish pies, fighting monsters, blowing bubbles, or _him_.

He didn't know if it was selfish or not put he particularly liked it when she would talk about him. Sure, when she was awake she would talk about him; in fact, it was pretty common. When she was asleep however, whatever she said was completely honest. Not to say he suspected her of fibbing, no sir, it was just that when she was asleep she didn't have to _think_ about what she said, when something popped into her head she would just say it as it was. Wander liked that sort of openness when he spoke to others; he wished people would just say what was on their mind instead of being worried about offending him or spoiling their reputation. Even when she was tired, she would occasionally let things slip. He smiled as he remembered the rather recent night on Globnart IV where she had tiredly gave her goodnight but with a little something _extra_.

"Goodnight Wander, have sweet dreams buddy, _I love you._ "

He silently stifled a laugh as to not wake his sleeping partner. That was one of the rare times that he had seen her blush and boy he could tell you it was _quite_ the sight to see the normally blue Zbornak turn beet red in the face. She had stuttered apologies, awkwardly fiddled with her fingers, shuffled away, avoided eye contact, lowered herself to the ground in a bow, started to sweat, and went as far as to offer to sleep somewhere farther away from him. His smile turned into a small, contemplative frown as he remembered some of her uncharacteristically fearful and timid behavior. It had made him _very_ happy to hear her say that. Why would she act like that? It was like she thought that he would scream and blow up at her or grow three times his regular size and beat her in some horrible way. How had saying three measly words to him turned her from the strong, determined and intelligent, leader he had come to know into a submissive, fearful and dare he say it, _pathetic_ looking girl he had seen that night?

He wasn't going to deny it, he found her _very_ cute when she had blushed and acted timid like that. Cute usually wasn't one of the things that others would associate Sylvia with, though. Not to say she didn't have nice qualities when she wasn't flustered, she was strong, smart, and maybe not as cute but still… _pretty_. Wander had a small collection of old magazines for those times he was required to stay in one place for an extended period of time. In some of these magazines there were fashion tips for females, he never paid too much attention to those as they did not pertain to him but had skimmed through them regardless. They seemed to associate the word "pretty" with jewelry, clothes or makeup and being honest, neither of them had much of either. He thought back to how pretty Sylvia had looked in that beautiful pearl necklace he had got her. He had even sold his hat to get it for her! Of course, they had to go on some grand quest to get it back but that's a story for another time…

Yes, Sylvia was a lot more than just his pillow at night. There was a near endless list of things that he loved about her. She could be serious enough to focus on a single task for an extended period of time, and she was also strong and brave enough to defend both of them which was a huge blessing. She wasn't just all business though. She had a smile that Wander swore was brighter than some suns, and she was fun enough to play typically childish games with him, like water balloon wars and snowball fights. Oh, and that laugh, that wonderful, just amazing laugh, he would give anything just make her laugh. Maybe someday, he _might just consider_ , as much as it was uncharacteristic of him to think this… settling down. As long as she was there with him, as long as she could guide him through that, with luck, he _might_ be able to manage it. Not now though, maybe not in several years, but maybe, just maybe, in the kind-of-far-but-not-impossibly-far-future. Sylvia suddenly shifted, her arms reaching around wander and slowly wrapping him in a surprising but not unwelcomed hug. Wander smiled and closed his eyes, for now, this was enough for him.

"I love you too Syl."


	2. Anger?

The mirror like ponds of Reso delicately reflected the moonlight onto the dew soaked rose petals floating within them. A thickly sweet scent wafted across the cool landscape as cherry blossoms fluttered about in a rhythmic dance. Normally, Sylvia wouldn't give a planet like it a second glance, it was like a painting. Paintings were nice to look at for a moment or two but to stare at one for hours or heaven forbid, days would seem insane. Yet she found herself spending the night on Reso, a small and nearly uninhabited planet in the corner of the galaxy, a picture of peace and tranquility. With Wander asleep an eerie silence seemed to engulf the whole planet. The only sounds were whistling wind and rustling grass. Silence was rare for Sylvia, not to say she didn't enjoy it, she was actually rather found of the rarity for a time. However with Lord Dominator constantly blasting down planets and Hater relentlessly screaming to the galaxy that he was its greatest occupant, it was sometimes hard to welcome silence. Wander loved to sing, dance, talk, yell, and make noises in general and she feared that it might have rubbed off on her. Her fears were confirmed when she had a surprisingly friendly, and musical encounter with Commander Peepers. Never in a million years would she have imagined herself looking to that Watchdog as a "buddy" and with open arms. It was bad enough when Wander had offered hugs to their enemies but now _she_ was doing it! What had that lunatic done to her? Had he really turned her into a silly-singing, hug-happy, sappy sucker? Looking to her reflection in the pond she contemplated this before a petal fell on her reflection's face causing her to stifle a giggle. Yes, he had turned her into all those things and more. She couldn't believe that, he'd gotten away with it too. If anybody else ever told her to change she'd probably punch them into next week but Wander made her _want_ to change. That was a scary thought.

As much as she hated admitting it, Sylvia got lonely rather easily. It was probably for the best though, being around Wander made her a better person. Her actions around him were drastically different than when she was around anybody else. He had somehow convinced her to act kinder, and more sympathetic to those around her; he could even manage to make her _nurturing_ at certain times! However, if Wander truly brought out the best in her than why couldn't she explain some of the things he made her do? Thinking back to shortly their last visit with Lord Dominator, she couldn't help but flush a little when she remembered how she looked at Wander after their encounter. "You're the greatest," she had said with her eyelids half open and a coquettish grin on her muzzle. Good grop, what did he do to her?! She looked to his peacefully sleeping form with a feeling of… something, churning in her stomach. She'd assume it was anger; anger was safe, anger was normal for her. Yes, it had to be anger, how dare he change her! How dare he make act like some sap, how dare he take away her furious and righteous strength with sappy ways, how dare he… be her only friend, help her manage her emotions, turn her into a nicer person, look after her when she was sick, and buy her jellyfish pies. Indeed, how dare he do all that. Her face acquired a crimson hue but it was from anger, she told herself. What good would anger do her though? Her feelings weren't exactly something she could punch; she sometimes hated abstract concepts just for this reason. What could she fight though? She couldn't brawl with her feelings so would she punch Wander for making feel that way?

A sudden feeling of shame and guilt washed over her for even having the thought. Her stomach tied itself into knots and she felt like she was going to hurl, a cold sweat made itself known despite the already cold evening. What kind of disgusting jerk was she? Wander had done nothing but pay her attention and kindness in nearly all the time she had known him! What was _wrong_ with her tonight?! The only one who needed some sense knocked into them was _her_. Stepping away from the pond Sylvia decided that she had had enough of the emotional rollercoaster she'd been on and sheepishly curled her body around Wander. She wasn't clingy; really, she just wanted to be sure he was safe… Okay fine! She was a little clingy. She gently nudged her companion so his head would rest on her side instead of the ground; she was sure it was much more comfortable for him anyhow. Taking slow, deep breaths in sync with the rise and fall of her companion's chest she became calm enough to admit something to herself. She wasn't angry at Wander, and she knew what she was feeling was never anger. She was scared of what was happening to her. She was becoming kinder, mushier, and sappier than ever before; her actions with her companion were becoming more intimate and flirtatious to degree. It seemed to be happening too fast, but she only had herself to blame for it. Wander wasn't pressuring her into a romantic relationship and that was certain. Maybe with all of impending galactic doom, her subconscious was trying to tell her something when she felt… weird, around Wander. With every second that ticked by her mind fought between sleep and resolving to admit her feelings. She had only just fully admitted them to herself. Sure she had told Wander that she loved him on occasion but she hadn't ever meant it like she felt right now. What was she supposed to say though? "I love you but not in the way that I've said it before because I mean I love you, love you," seemed rather silly. With a large yawn the Zbornak decided that she could work on the speech later. For now she could say whatever she wanted and she'd keep it simple.

"I love ya, Wander," She said with a tinge of crimson on her cheeks as she drifted to sleep.


	3. Together Through It All

**Author's Note: This chapter is based off the episode "The Flower" and is a little different than the last two chapters. I hope you enjoy it in celebration of the Wander Over Yonder series finale that is coming up. It was an excellent show and I'm sad to see these characters go but we can continue to love them and keep them all alive through our literature and support!**

* * *

"You know, when you utterly demolish planet after planet it's easy to lose sight of the little things that you are also demolishing in the process. The birds singing, this stupid flower, any hope of your survival all crumbling in my cold, fiery grasp," Dominator leaned in to Wander and Sylvia's faces, "You gotta love what ya' do am I right?"

The only response she received was the miserable, helpless and humiliated looks of her victims. Even the tough Zbornak girl looked like she was fighting back tears as she uselessly hugged her companion. Neither of them had the courage to stand up straight in her presence as Wander had his shoulders slumped and the submissively slouched Zbornak made whatever small effort she could to comfort him. Just as the flower she took from them wilted and died Dominator saw their hope die as well. What a silly thing to rely on a little flower for hope. If she wasn't too busy enjoying the crushed expression of her enemies she might've considered asking them what possessed them to go through all the trouble for it. She knew they'd made the flower a symbol of their hope, which is why she enjoyed watching them squirm every time she destroyed it petal by petal with harsh bursts of fire or sudden chills of frost. Words could not describe how much she _loved_ this. The feeling she had right now was what she lived for. It was especially nice to see _them_ finally be miserable. Those two always somehow clung to hope but now she had finally taken it from them. She wanted to preserve this moment so she could fondly relive it again and again and so she decided she would.

"Oh, wow! This is seriously really sad for both of you," Dominator cruelly crooned, "Hold up!"

Dominator took this opportunity to wrap her arm around the sniveling pair and gave a happy grin to her cellphone as she took a picture with them. It was great to have some strong bots with her; even now they didn't have the courage to fight her. She felt them shivering in fear and even Wander made a brief effort to squirm away from her. This was great. Even the sweetest and kindest living creature in the whole galaxy was revolted by and terrified of her. She took another moment to post her little photo online so that everyone could see the fun she was having. It was _so_ considerate of her photo buddies to cling to each other in fear and despair so that she didn't feel rushed while she posted the picture.

"Alright, enough fun. Say goodbye Wander and… the Zbornak," She petered of sheepishly.

How rude to think that she didn't even know the _name_ of the girl whose life she was about to take. She tried to remember for them, she really did…

"I wanna say Sibbl… Ah, who cares?! You're both doomed!" She gave up to save herself from the admittedly awkward situation she put herself in and prepared her fireball.

"I care…" A weak voice muttered.

"What?" Dominator looked up from the red orb glowing in her hand.

"Wander what are you doing?!" The Zbornak cried to her friend.

"It's okay, Sylvia. What's she gonna do, kill us?" A sad laugh escaped his lips as his expression was now hidden by the shadow of his hat, "No, I think now is the time to speak plainly if there ever was one," He finished.

Dominator doused the flame in her hand and looked to him expectantly. She had never heard him talk like this and from the Zbornak's expression, she wasn't used to this either.

"Dominator," He started, "This is my best friend, Sylvia and we go everywhere together."

What was this, "show and tell?" Dominator scoffed and began to relight the flame in her hand only to see the Zbornak… Sylvia behind him. She was pleading on her knees to give her partner more time. Dominator pursed her lips to try to hide the small smile she was getting from watching her. Just to sell the point that this better not be a waste of her time she took a nibble on one of the last remaining flower petals… their precious hope. She loved the little cringe she got from both of them.

"Sylvia was and always will be the strongest and bravest person I know. Did you know that she actually took down an entire Watchdog battalion all by herself? I'm not very fond of violence myself, but I knew she only did it because she wanted to keep me safe," Wander continued.

"Really, now?" Dominator tried to suppress a laugh; if only he knew that the reason he was alive was because of Sylvia's silent sniveling and begging.

Dominator wanted to test something. How far was this little blue Zbornak of his going to go just to let him tell a silly story before he died? She pointed to Sylvia and then down to the ground. Sylvia quirked her head not knowing what the gesture meant but dominator simply summoned a small flame and shot a pathetic spark at Wander. Sylvia shook her head frantically at her and then proceeded to get on her knees again and bow to her… just like Dominator wanted her to do. Wander went to look behind him to see what the commotion was about but Dominator stopped him.

"Uh, uh, uh," She shook her finger, "When you have a conversation with someone you look at them, right? Well Wander; I want you to look at me the _entire_ time you speak no matter what. I've heard manners are very important to you. Oh, and speaking of manners, it's impolite to talk while others are talking so Sylvia is going to stay quite the entire time, _okay_?"

"If that's what you want I guess," Wander looked to her while Sylvia nodded her head in compliance.

"Good, so you were saying?" Dominator prompted him to continue… this could be a little fun.

"Right," Wander started again a little confused, "I guess Sylvia's always been protective of me. She tells me not go and do things that I usually end up doin' anyways because helpin' others is more important than my safety will ever be. She doesn't like that much but she's always been with me every step of the way since I met her. Even if the stuff I drag her into can be a bit dangerous, tedious or embarrassin'. It just goes to show what a wonderfully kind and sweet gal she really is once you get to know her."

Dominator made a twirl in the air with her finger and gave a glance to Sylvia causing the reluctant Zbornak to get up off the ground and twirl… like a ballerina. She didn't care if it was fear, embarrassment or a bit of both, really. As long as others were uncomfortable Dominator could content herself for a while. She liked to compare that little thought process to pizza toppings. Sure, pepperoni would usually be her first choice but it was nice to have an olive pizza every now and again, refreshing and new but still just as good.

"Sweet, you say? What has she done to make you think that?" Dominator asked all too innocently.

"Well, when we first started travelin' together she thought I was little too clingy. I used ta' wonder why she didn't seem so keen on hugs but I think I figured it out. I don' think she ever really had anyone to hug before she met me, sure she knew some other people but… I don't think they were the huggin' type. So I just kept tryin' and sure she'd pry me off in the beginning but one day it was just… different. I went to hug her and I expected her to try and push me away like she always did but," He paused in memory, "She didn't."

"So what _did_ happen?" Dominator asked becoming bored with his sappy tale and gesturing for Sylvia to stop twirling and simply bow to her again.

"She cried."

Dominator could see that Sylvia was trying to hide a blush and that his story was embarrassing her. She took small pleasure in that and would allow Wander to continue for a little while longer.

"Really?"

"Yes, really. I wasn't expectin' it but she just up and stiffened. She had a lot of questions for me. She wanted to know why I was doin' this and why I cared about what happened to her. She wanted me to be _mean_ to her because she'd been mean to me. I tried to explain to her that being mean to someone who's mean to you doesn't make things any better. She said she felt _bad_ when I was nice to her and of course I told her not to 'cause I wasn't gonna stop. Ah' told her I forgave her n' that she should forgive herself too. Ever since then, she's been fine with mah' hugs and likes to give 'em to me too. Heck, She sometimes has trouble sleepin' if ah'm not there…" He chuckled that last part, "It jus' goes to show that _anyone_ can change for the better even if they need help sometimes."

"Do you think even _I_ could change?" Dominator teased.

"Ah' think ya' could Dominator. Ah'd be willing to help you and forgive you for everything if ya' did."

An idea struck Dominator. Sure, exploding planets was evil but it went by too fast. What she had here was a golden opportunity to inflict something truly lasting. She could ruin an individual's life… forever. It was easy to end a life but it was truly something special to make someone live a long, healthy and miserable life.

"Okay, Wander, I'll give up evil." Dominator stated simply.

"Really?!" Both Sylvia and Wander asked in shocked unison.

"On one condition… I get to kill you. It will be the last evil thing I do, I promise."

"How will killing us help you change?!" Sylvia demanded.

"Oh, not you Sylvia, just him. I'll let you go; you could still spread joy without Wander, right?"

"N-no! That's not an acceptable deal and you know it y-" Sylvia cut off by Wander gently placing her hand on her snout.

"Think of all the lives it would save, Syl. I'm just one person in the galaxy that's bound to die someday, right? Think about all the families we could keep together. Please, Syl I'm not worth everyone in the galaxy."

"You are to me, Wander!" She grabbed him as tears began to flow down her cheeks, "For once in your life be selfish, _for me_ if you have to! You're talking about saving families but _you're_ my family Wander! Without you I… I…" She began sniveling and hiccupping incoherently.

Dominator smiled at the scene before her. She didn't even have to _do_ anything, they were tearing _themselves_ apart. If this worked out she'd get to kill Wander and content herself with watching Sylvia be miserable for the rest of her life and if it didn't… she could always just kill them both and go back to dominating planets.

"I'll give you one more minute to say goodbye. If you're not done by then I'm killing you both and going back to… doing my thing," Dominator set a timer on her wristwatch.

"I'm begging you Wander, please don't do this! We'll find another way to stop Dominator, I promise!" Sylvia pleaded.

"I never wanted to stop Dominator, Syl. I wanted to find a way to help her change, just like Hater. If this is the only way than I'm more than willing to go through with it."

"Tick, tock you two," Dominator warned.

"What would you do if it were me, Wander? Would you just let Dominator kill me than and trust her to keep her word?!" Sylvia demanded.

"No, in fact I'd be doing exactly what you're doing right now. I'd never let anything bad happen to you no matter what," Wander stated resolutely.

"Then why are you doing this now?!"

"Because it's not you she wants, it's me."

"But-" Sylvia was interrupted.

"Time's up you two," Dominator chided.

They both looked to her, mortified. Had they really spent the last moments of their life arguing?! For effect, Dominator drew a small flame closer to the flower. Their hope would burn just as they would… or so she thought. The dying flower gave a spray of green powder that caused her flame to douse as she began to sneeze uncontrollably.

Sylvia hurriedly grabbed Wander, who had already grabbed the flower and she made an Orbital Bubble to escape. Luckily Dominator's robots didn't understand her commands through her sneezing and the pair managed to escape. Sylvia began to laugh with joy as they gained distance from their tormentor.

"See Wander? Dominator isn't invincible, there's still hope!"

"We're too late," She heard him sniffle.

In alarm she turned back and saw him crying over a gently caressed and wilted flower. She wailed in protest as she swiftly landed on the rocky remains of a small planet. She tried everything she could to revive the plant with what little she knew about them. She was ashamed to say that she only knew very basic knowledge when it came to plants. All she knew was that plants needed sunlight and water. She had no clue if they had hearts or could be revived but that wouldn't stop her from trying!

"Sylvia," She could hear the disappointment in his voice.

"I- I won't fail you Wander!" She promised fruitlessly.

"Sylvia," She knew he wanted her to give up and it was heartbreaking.

"I can do it Wander, please just believe in m-" She stopped midsentence to see that a tear was about to fall off of Wander's face.

Sylvia Lurched forward in an effort to stop the tear from hitting the ground. Wander couldn't give up; if he did all hope would _actually_ be lost! No, she wouldn't let that tear hit the ground. It wouldn't count if she caught it, right?! Time seemed to move in slow motion as her body slid across the rocky ground only to skid to a grinding halt right in front of Wander's tear that had formed a small puddle on the ground. She failed him. Her own eyes began to tear up as she reluctantly looked up to her companion. She didn't know what she expected to see when she looked up. Was her friend going to look hollow and dead or would he be angry with her for failing him? She suddenly felt a soft touch. Wander began to wipe a tear from her eye as he cupped her cheek with another hand.

"Sylvia," He began, "You did everything you could to save this flower and in return, it ended up saving us instead. It's okay to be sad."

"B-but I can't have you sad! If you're sad than that means that there _really_ is no hope left!" She cried to him.

"Just because I'm sad doesn't mean I've given up hope…"

"It doesn't? W-what do we have left to hope in? The flower is gone and the only time Dominator's ever willingly made a deal is…"

"Done," Wander finished for her.

"Were you really going to do it?" Sylvia asked breathlessly.

"It doesn't matter; Syl and I don't want you thinking about it anymore. You heard her, we ran out of time on that deal and I think that's for the better, don't you?"

"It _does_ matter and I won't stop thinking about it without you _promising_ me that you will _never, ever, ever, ever,_ do something like that _ever_ again!" Sylvia commanded.

"Syl, you know ah' ca-"

"Can! You can and will Wander! I'm not letting go of you until you do," She wrapped herself around her companion.

"Syl, you can't keep holding me here forever."

"Yes I can!" She protested.

"We'll die of hunger," He joked.

"Any death with you would be better than trying to survive without you," Sylvia affirmed.

"Y-you really mean that?" He choked.

"Please don't leave me Wander. I need you. I love you."

"Syl?"

Wander tried to comfort his sobbing partner who seemed to be lost in repeating "I need you," "Please don't leave me," and "I love you," over and over as she wrapped herself around him. He looked around to see that while the one flower had indeed passed on, it seemed to have spread its seeds onto many of the surrounding planets. Small patches of green hope grew on every planet around them. It was in this moment that Wander realized how selfish and narrow minded he had been. There must be another way to change Dominator's mind. A better way. He looked down to see what he had done to his companion. She was a sniveling mess. How could he have done this to her?! How could he have even considered that dying was the only way?! There was always another way, there had to be.

"I promise Sylvia, I'll never _ever_ do something like that again. I'm so sorry. I love you too, Sylvia. Can you please open your eyes now? There's something I want to show you…"

Sylvia opened her reddened eyes and when her vision cleared she gasped. The flower had somehow spread seeds to every single planet around them. She stared at the greenery in awe.

"You could never fail me, Sylvia. We have plenty to hope for and as long as we're together, things will stay that way. Please stop crying, I love you."

"I-I love you too, Wander. I know we'll change Dominator and restore the galaxy somehow. We'll rebuild it to be even more beautiful than it already was, _together_."

"And we always will be," Wander finished.

They weren't sure how long they were going to stare at the greenery that was starting to grow on the other planets but they decided that they needed this time with nothing but nature, hope, and each other's company.


End file.
